Latest Medical & OCAN News Articles

The Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Nevada wants to help extend your knowledge by keeping you informed about the latest happenings in this area of your health. They consist of articles not only about medical breakthroughs, but of success, hope, and actions. The following links are to articles for the current month, that have appeared in newspapers and publications from sources throughout both the U.S. and world wide, and are available with on-line editions. Each listing has a short opening paragraph of the article. The listing of the links are by date published, with the most recent found listed first.

For archived articles prior to the current calendar month, please see: Ovarian Cancer Archived News


August 2005

Aug 31, 2005 - "Laramie Boomerang", Laramie, WY
Young scientific minds at work
Seventh grader Harraz MohdReza was sure he was in trouble; he just couldn’t think of what for. Harraz’s father’s stern look was a playful joke on his son, however, and temporarily hid MohdReza Razali’s paternal pride — and a surprise.

Aug 31, 2005 - "KXTV - CH 10", Sacramentp, CA
"Silent Killer" Ovarian Cancer May Not Be So Silent After All
Symptoms of ovarian cancer may not be as vague as commonly thought, which could lead to earlier diagnosis, according to research conducted at the University of California at Davis.

Aug 30, 2005 - "The White House", Washington, DC
National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, 2005
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America - proclaiming September 2005 as National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths among women in the United States. Each year, thousands of women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and thousands die from the disease. During National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, we strive to raise awareness of ovarian cancer and promote early detection and treatment of this disease.

Aug 29, 2005 - "eMaxHealth",
Early Clinical Signs of Ovarian Cancer
Many women diagnosed with ovarian cancer actually complained of symptoms of the disease at least four months before they were diagnosed, according to a new study to be published in the October 1, 2005 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. Although patient complaints of abdominal pain and swelling are not specific for ovarian cancer, the researchers found that only about one quarter of women with these symptoms underwent pelvic imaging, or other tests to diagnose ovarian cancer, in a timely manner.

Aug 29, 2005 - "Web India 123", India
Exercise may reduce ovarian cancer risk
Running or brisk walks may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, according to a new Danish study, which also suggests that exercise may reduce the risk of some other cancer forms. Women who exercise more than four hours a week reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer by 70 percent, the study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health said.

Aug 28, 2005 - "The Daily Times", Pakistan
Women spot ovarian cancer signs early
Women spot ovarian cancer signs early. Many women with ovarian cancer complained of symptoms up to a year before diagnosis, but their doctors did not order the right tests for the fast-growing tumor until later, researchers said on Monday. Elderly women with ovarian cancer were at least twice as likely to visit a doctor and report symptoms such as abdominal swelling or pelvic pain, Dr. Lloyd Smith of the University of California at Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento and colleagues reported in Monday’s issue of the journal Cancer.

Aug 28, 2005 - "The Daily Press", Newport News, VA
Cancer patients find last hope in rare treatment
Sitting on the couch in her living room, Evelyn Wade rests her head on her small hand as she talks softly about fighting ovarian cancer. Her black hair has just started to grow back. "Every day I feel a little bit better," she said. "I was in my room most of the time. Now I'm on the couch."

Aug 26, 2005 - "The Baltimore Sun", Baltimore, MD
A boost in ovarian-cancer battle
Ovarian-cancer survival may be predicted by the levels of two proteins in the body, a new study shows, while other recent research suggests that more women's lives might be saved by using existing tests to diagnose persistent symptoms that might indicate the presence of the so-called "silent killer."

Aug 25, 2005 - "Medical News Today",
Nearly Half of California Women With Ovarian Cancer Reported Symptoms Up To Three Months Prior to Diagnosis, Study Says
Nearly half of Medicare-enrolled California women with ovarian cancer reported symptoms of the disease up to three months prior to diagnosis, according to a study published Monday in the journal... Cancer, the San Jose Mercury News reports (Sevrens Lyons, San Jose Mercury News, 8/22).

Aug 24, 2005 - "China Economic Net", China
Pain, swelling may signify ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer, which is often termed as the "silent killer" because it usually goes undetected until it has spread, isn't so silent. Many women complains to doctors about symptoms such as abdominal swelling and pain in the months before the cancer is diagnosed, a new study shows.

Aug 23, 2005 - "The Denver Channel - CH 7", Denver, CO
Ovarian Cancer Warning Signs Often Overlooked
Ovarian cancer is known as the silent killer because there are usually no symptoms until the cancer has reached its advanced stages. But it may not be silent after all. New research finds potential symptoms of ovarian cancer are often overlooked or misdiagnosed, reported WCVB-TV in Boston.

Aug 23, 2005 - "Aetna InteliHealth Inc",
Simple Tests Could Reveal Ovarian Cancer Months Earlier, Researchers Say
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (The New York Times News Service) -- Ovarian cancer could be diagnosed earlier in some women if more doctors conducted simple tests that can, with limited reliability, detect the often fatal disease, researchers at UC Davis have concluded. Often called the "silent killer," ovarian cancer in fact does produce symptoms, but they are vague and hard to distinguish from other, far more common ailments. That has made the disease deadlier than others because most often it is caught too late.

Aug 23, 2005 - "Sacramento Bee", Sacramento, CA
UCD study urges earlier ovarian cancer tests
Ovarian cancer could be diagnosed earlier in some women if more doctors conducted simple tests that can, with limited reliability, detect the often fatal disease, researchers at UC Davis have concluded. Often called the "silent killer," ovarian cancer in fact does produce symptoms, but they are vague and hard to distinguish from other, far more common ailments. That has made the disease deadlier than others because most often it is caught too late.

Aug 23, 2005 - "The Ledger-Enquirer", Columbus, GA
Hope - and hype - in the cancer war
Over Sunday brunch in 1999, Peter J. Levine threw out an idea that would propel the lawyer-turned-entrepreneur to the frontier of molecular research. Three years later, he was the unlikely coauthor of a paper heralded as a medical breakthrough. Using blood "from a finger stick," researchers had reliably detected ovarian cancer with "a test that can be completed in 30 minutes," one that was "potentially applicable to any type of disease," said the National Cancer Institute, which paid for the February 2002 study.

Aug 23, 2005 - "News-Medical.Net",
Appropriate tests need to be done earlier for ovarian cancer
A new study to be published in the journal CANCER in October has found that many women diagnosed with ovarian cancer actually complained of symptoms of the disease at least four months before they were diagnosed.

Aug 23, 2005 - "Innovations Report",
Gene discovery sheds light on causes of rare disease, cancer
National Institute on Aging (NIA) researchers have discovered a new gene, FANCM, which sheds light on an important pathway involved in the repair of damaged DNA.

Aug 23, 2005 - "Innovations Report",
Potential ovarian cancer oncogene offers possibility of predictive test and a novel therapy
Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report they have discovered a potential oncogene in ovarian cancer, which is the leading cause of gynecological cancer death in U.S. women.

Aug 22, 2005 - "FOX Carolina TV", NC
Stomach Pain, Swelling Could Signal Ovarian Cancer
Abdominal pain and swelling can be early symptoms of ovarian cancer. But they are often attributed to other causes, potentially delaying an earlier diagnosis of the disease when it could be treated more effectively, a new study finds.

Aug 22, 2005 - "ABC News", New York, NY
New Info About Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is often called a "silent killer" because it comes to the attention of physicians only at its late stages, when the prognosis is poor. But a new study by the University of California at Davis shows many women with ovarian cancer exhibit symptoms many months before the cancer gets to a deadly stage, and is still highly treatable.
Additional Articles: Ovarian Cancer Does Have Warning Signs

Aug 22, 2005 - "TVNZ ", New Zealand
Cancer symptoms missed by doctors
Many women with ovarian cancer complained of symptoms up to a year before diagnosis, but their doctors did not order the right tests for the fast-growing tumor until later, researchers have said.

Aug 22, 2005 - "Belleville News", IL
Study suggests diagnoses often delayed for ovarian cancer patients
Ovarian cancer - often called the "silent killer" because it usually goes undetected until it has spread - isn't so silent, a new study shows. And neither are many of the California women afflicted with it, some of whom have complained to doctors about their symptoms a full year before being diagnosed.

Aug22, 2005 - "Reuters - AlertNet ",
Women spot ovarian cancer signs early - study
Many women with ovarian cancer complained of symptoms up to a year before diagnosis, but their doctors did not order the right tests for the fast-growing tumor until later, researchers said on Monday. Elderly women with ovarian cancer were at least twice as likely to visit a doctor and report symptoms such as abdominal swelling or pelvic pain, Dr. Lloyd Smith of the University of California at Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento and colleagues reported in Monday's issue of the journal Cancer.

Aug 19, 2005 - "Kansas City Info Zone", Kansas City, MO
Scientists Find Cell Surface Enzyme Matriptase Causes Cancer
Scientists at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) and colleagues report in animal studies that a single, scissor-like enzyme called matriptase, when left to its own devices, can cause cancer.

Aug 19, 2005 - "Prevention.com",
Seven Diseases Doctors Miss
In her early 40s, Pamela Serure was the epitome of health. An energetic New York City marketing executive who'd grown tired of the rat race, she'd moved out to the Hamptons, started a juice business, and written a guide to yoga and fasting that catapulted her onto an international book tour.
Ovarian Cancer Ayala Miron, a civil engineer and mother of four in suburban Philadelphia, has always made sure to inform her physicians of any health problems. Yet Miron, now 49, suffered abdominal cramps, urinary discomfort, longer periods, and abnormal midcycle bleeding for years without getting a diagnosis. She did have an abdominal and vaginal ultrasound. But both came back clean, and her doctor never suggested a follow-up look. The midcycle bleeding she experienced, he assured her, was normal.

Aug 15, 2005 - "Biz Journals",
Clinical trials seek earlier detection of ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a silent killer that sneaks up from behind you and zaps you before you know it's there. By the time you have a tumor bulging large enough for a physician to feel it, it most likely is too late. Cancer survivors often look back and realize they missed some of what many in the medical field believe were early symptoms: Abdominal pain and urinary incontinence.

Aug 14, 2005 - "Medical News Today",
Prevention &Treatment of Ovarian Cancer
Dr Marc Kahn, medical director of EBT-Heart & Body Imaging said: "The transvaginal ultrasound is a test that the public is demanding, but insurance companies don't pay for. Early detection of ovarian cancer is the key to prevention. The test is safe and takes only a few minutes to perform. Although less common than other cancers, ovarian cancer is especially difficult to detect and has the highest mortality rate of all gynecologic cancers in both Canada and the U.S. However, when detected early, the five- year survival rate is 95 percent in the U.S. and about 90 percent in Canada, according to the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care.

Aug 14, 2005 - "The New York Times", NYC, NY
Awash in Information, Patients Face a Lonely, Uncertain Road
Nothing Meg Gaines endured had prepared her for this moment. Not the six rounds of chemotherapy for ovarian cancer that had metastasized to her liver. Not the doctor who told her, after Ms. Gaines was prepped for surgery, that he could not operate: a last-minute scan revealed too many tumors. "Go home and think about the quality, not the quantity, of your days," he said.

Aug 13, 2005 - "News-Medical.Net ",
Researchers have found a signal that could lead to earlier detection and treatment of ovarian cancer
The Penn State team of scientists led by principal investigator Kathleen M. Mulder, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology, and working in conjunction with a researcher from the Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., studied "km23," a protein that helps to direct protein traffic in the cell. Mulder's team has found that at least 42 percent of ovarian cancer patient tumor tissues have alterations in km23.
Related article: Protein to pinpoint ovarian cancer identified

Aug 07, 2005 - "Herald Tribune", FL
Early signs of ovarian cancer often dismissed
Dear Dr. Donohue: I was sent for a CT scan because I felt so bloated -- no other symptoms. The scan showed a tumor that turned out to be ovarian cancer. I had surgery and chemotherapy. All this happened two years ago, and things still look good. Write something about ovarian cancer, how it often has no symptoms until very late. -- K.W.

Aug 07, 2005 - "The Record", Troy, NY
Ovarian cancer survivors strike back
Inside the library of St. Pius X Church in Loudonville, on a muggy July evening, 11 women sit around a teal green table to share life experiences. The group is perplexed by the fact that both of their facilitators, (nurses Anne Purchase and Jennifer Van Aernem) have not come to a Caring Together ovarian cancer support meeting for the first time since 1996. Also absent is loyal President JoAnne Valente, who for the first time in years, is feeling too ill to attend. While it is obvious the presence of their leaders is missed, it is even more apparent that these women are not in need of a facilitator. Eager, bright and upbeat, even those worn thin and hairless from chemotherapy are immersed in the moment. "I lay in bed until 5 o'clock today trying to decide if I would go to the meeting or not," said Peggy Gaylord. She knew that being able to talk with the group at 6:30 would offer her more comfort than anything else could.

Aug 07, 2005 - "The Record", Troy, NY
JoAnne's story
JoAnne Valente has been living with ovarian cancer for 13 years. Fifty percent of women diagnosed with the disease die within the first five years, according to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. Valente found it difficult to relate to general cancer support groups when she began looking for one in 1997. In the late 1990s, a physician's assistant struggling with the disease founded Caring Together, a group specifically for ovarian cancer patients.

Aug 04-07, 2005 - "Various Publications",
Doubt cast over study that says milk linked to ovarian cancer
Goodness of milk 'offset by ovarian cancer risk'
Extra milk a cancer risk
Renewed debate over milk and ovarian cancer risk
Study links ovarian cancer, milk

Aug 03, 2005 - "Tucson Citizen", Tucson, AZ
Breast, ovarian cancer lose deadly headstarts
Cancer survivor Mary Dimercurio (left) meets with nurse coordinator Jan Degan at the UA High-Risk Breast and Ovarian Cancer Clinic at the Arizona Cancer Center at University Medical Center. For a woman whose family or personal medical history puts her at high risk for breast or ovarian cancer, the possibility she may someday develop one - or both - diseases can be frightening. The High-Risk Breast and Ovarian Cancer Clinic at the Arizona Cancer Center aims to not only ease her mind but also to actually reduce her chances of getting cancer and to detect cancers and precancerous conditions as early as possible.

Aug 03, 2005 - "Doctors Guide",
TopAbstracts in Ovarian Cancer 08/03/2005
TopAbstracts™ in Ovarian Cancer are the abstracts most highly rated/most read by nearly 300,000 physicians who received a Doctor's Guide™ newsletter or visited a website Powered by Doctor's Guide™ in the past 28 days. Over 2000 peer-reviewed journals are covered by TopAbstracts.

Aug 01, 2005 - "Cancerfacts.com", Seattle, WA
Multiple markers for breast and ovarian cancer
UPPSALA, Sweden – Aug. 1, 2005 – Scientists have made a promising discovery that could improve the early diagnosis of breast and ovarian cancers through a simple blood test. The research team led by Dr. Serhiy Souchelnytskyi from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research discovered three proteins present in the blood of women with breast and ovarian cancer, but not in the blood of women without cancer, according to a study published in the current issue of the International Journal of Cancer.